THIS splendid collection of largely Edwardian postcards has just been rediscovered in a loft in Weardale. The cards take us on a wonderful tour of County Durham, from the Pennines to the sea, and they take us on a journey back in time.

Only this week, Britain's oldest postcard manufacturer, J Salmon of Kent, announced that after five generations and 137 years it is to cease publishing cards because there is no demand for them. No one posts cards anymore – they put a post on social media. A card would take days to arrive, but a Facebook post is instantaneous.

Postcards are the pre-First World War equivalent of a tweet or a text – a snapshot of a second or the imparting of a vital fragment of information, like the time of a train.

Many thanks to the people who have loaned us the cards, and if you have any information or comments about any of them, please email chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk